Franklinland

by Lloyd Suh

This modern, comic take on the American Revolution puts the spotlight on the relationship between the brilliant and domineering Ben Franklin and his son William. As Ben plants the seeds of a new republic, King George III appoints William as Royal Governor of New Jersey - a change in affairs that creates a revolutionary family rift.

Audio CD

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[Kee Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting short story that focuses on the father-son relationship between Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son and his illegitimate son. I really learned some interesting facts that led me to think about Benjamin Franklin as more than a Founding Father and Inventor. It also led me to consider the family tension of supporting the American Revolution vs loyalty to the king.

All-in-all, a good story. It left me more curious about Franklin "the man" and his lineage.

[Laur · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You are your own. Your own, singular, beautiful thing."

"This America as conceived is a thing that will grow and stumble
and rise and fall, but only based on our collective will. It is
designed to be reflective of we, the people, and so I feel an
agency— and therefore a responsibility— in its creation.
For you see, wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be a place of high
ideals, of great achievement, a place of freedom and civic pride,
a place like your father describes, where we can celebrate the
very best parts of humanity with camraderie, and community, and
empathy?"

An odd retelling of an old story - would be best seen live I think though was a relatively enjoyable read too.

[Lindsay]

I dug this! I like short and sweet and funny plays about fatherhood and fighting with your overbearing dad. I also listened to the audiobook and I thought Gregory Harrison and Larry Powell had great chemistry.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and gets to the good stuff

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept is really interesting but it was just a weird, random play.

[Jenny Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning reminded a bit of Barth’s The Sot Weed Factor, in the overt-ranging-to-naive optimism of the colonial-verging-just-shy-of-caricatured Franklin and William set to draw down the promise of endless energy from the sky. The promise of a proto-nascent American dream, prior to its ideological construction.

That energy captures the intergenerational dynamic explored here: the father-son relationship approached both directly in the history of Franklin’s life and thematically in the American Revolution, intersectional identities, British politics, economic power, and the relationship between land and freedom in the imaginary.

It’s funny throughout: Franklin grumbling over the choice of the bald eagle for the American bird as he lays out his argument for the turkey (it’s much more congenial and welcoming, and it can feed so many!) or complaining he’s not seated near the king. The pace of the play moves quickly, jumping through time and space as we dip in and out of a complicated relationship and complex history.

By the end, the final acknowledgment between father and son comes as a true relief: an unexpected release of the emotional tension that has been building throughout the entire play, and a bit of a grace in the gift of its arrival, which is held as a mystery until the very final moment.